Stolen U-Haul suspect taken into custody after fiery chase
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DOWNEY, California (KABC) — A stolen U-Haul suspect who led police on a lengthy chase across Los Angeles and Orange counties before the truck caught fire on the 91 Freeway was taken into custody in the Downey area Tuesday morning.
The pursuit began in the Buena Park area just before 5 a.m., according to police. The driver in the stolen truck was traveling at relatively slow speeds on several freeways, including the 605 Freeway in the Whittier area. The pursuit continued into the L.A. area on the 5 Freeway northbound.
The suspect exited the 5 Freeway northbound in Los Feliz before re-entering the freeway in the southbound lanes around 5:30 a.m.
The truck, which authorities say was being driven by a single male occupant, was hauling a small trailer. AIR7 HD captured the trailer sparking on the ground as speeds began to pick up.
By 6 a.m., the suspect continued to lead California Highway Patrol officers on the slow-speed pursuit on the southbound 605 Freeway in the Downey area.
The pursuit continued into Orange County as the driver switched to the 91 Freeway eastbound in the Anaheim area. where an officer on a median deployed a spike strip in the truck’s path.
AIR7 HD was over the scene around 6:15 a.m. as sparks began to fly from the tires, with the front tires flattened as the vehicle began to slow but continued back into L.A. County.
Smoke began to rise from the front tires as the suspect continued to drive on the truck’s rims. Speeds dropped to around 10 mph as the wheel well on the front passenger’s side became completely engulfed in flames on the 91 Freeway.
The suspect fled on foot after exiting the freeway and traveling onto Bellflower Boulevard in the Downey area around 6:50 a.m. Aerial shots showed the U-Haul’s cab engulfed in flames on Bellflower Boulevard while officers searched for the suspect in a residential area.
The suspect was taken into custody just before 7 a.m., and the vehicle fire was extinguished.
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